


Bravery

by Orcusnox (Cat9894)



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Drabble, Mentions of Knights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-21
Updated: 2016-01-21
Packaged: 2018-05-15 08:12:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5778076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cat9894/pseuds/Orcusnox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Very short drabble about different types of bravery.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bravery

    Arthur often thought about bravery.

    He probably thought about it more than was healthy, but he was the Prince of Camelot. He had to be brave. It was expected of him. His father set tournaments and watched over his fights, never really seeming to realise how much courage Arthur used in such things. His people cheered, his father smiled, and Arthur wondered if they knew he was being brave.

    Bravery was expected of his knights, and he was happy to share the burden with them. He respected them all, and they respected him. None of them were fearless – except maybe Gwaine, and that was only because he hadn’t enough brains left to know when to be afraid. They all relied on each other, and Arthur wondered if it would be braver to rely only on himself.

    There was one who he knew needed no bravery, and that was Merlin. Gangly, scrawny Merlin with ears the size of saucers and a smile that lit up the room. Merlin who was clumsy, who liked to talk but hated to fight.

    After a night of drinking at a banquet for something or another, he posed the question to Merlin.

    “What is it like, not having to be brave?”

    Arthur was already looking at Merlin, so he noticed the way his servant’s back tightened, his shoulders drawing up towards those ridiculous ears. Before he could ask why, Merlin had turned back to face him, an unreadable expression on his face. This unnerved Arthur more than he was willing to admit, because Merlin had always been an open book.

    “Why do you think I’m not brave?” Merlin asked quietly, his long fingers absently clenching around the pillow he held.

    Arthur blinked, the wine making his head slow. “Because you are not a knight,” he finally said, brow furrowed in concentration because no, that wasn’t quite what he meant. “Because you don’t have to fight.”

    Merlin snorted. “There’s more to bravery than just swinging a sword,” he replied.

    Arthur frowned at him. “No there isn’t.”

    Merlin seemed to be fighting a grin. “Perhaps it’s best you rest, my lord,” he said softly, pushing the pillow under Arthur’s head. “We can always talk about it in the morning.”

    “No,” Arthur said stubbornly, pushing himself into an upright position. “What do you think bravery is?”

    For a moment, Merlin’s eyes changed. They darkened and seemed to age, turning Merlin from the young man he was into a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Arthur could have sworn he saw a glimmer of gold in their depths.

    “Bravery is an intangible concept,” Merlin replied. “It has many faces, many disguises. Sometimes it is a disguise itself.”

    Arthur had heard Merlin talk this way before, but the wine he’d consumed made everything sharper. He watched Merlin’s lips as they shaped the words, saw the weariness in his eyes as Merlin glanced around the room.

    “You think bravery is in battles,” Merlin continued. “Bravery is standing before a crowd and beating opponent after opponent, when all you wish to do is sleep. Bravery is fighting back against all odds, never giving up.” He looked thoughtful for a minute. “You aren’t wrong,” he added hastily, suddenly reverting to his normal self.

    Arthur felt something inside him relax. He’d never realised just how much Merlin noticed, how much he _saw_. But his servant wasn’t done, because his expression had changed again. Something raw and powerful flashed in his eyes.

    “Bravery is the choices you make. Bravery is the actions you take. What some call brave others call stupid or foolish. A man who goes back into a burning building to save the dag – he’s brave. Someone who isn’t afraid to voice their opinion, who isn’t afraid to be heard – they’re brave.” Merlin took a breath. “A person who keeps a secret that could kill them, who lives with fear eroding their insides – they are brave.” He smiled impishly down at Arthur. “And of course, the prat who swings a sword for Camelot is brave.”

    Arthur stared at him, blinking blearily. “You talk too much,” he finally muttered.

    Merlin laughed. “You asked.”


End file.
